


Mirror Gem

by yaboyrobin



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26581378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaboyrobin/pseuds/yaboyrobin
Summary: A new gem joins the Crystal gems.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	Mirror Gem

Rose frowned deeply as the warp stream ended, looking at the crumbling mess that was the Prime kindergarten. She turned to Garnet next to her, who had her arms crossed in discomfort. 

"Garnet-" Rose bent down and felt the dry, dead ground she'd have to walk upon. Ugh. "Are you sure you need me and not Pearl for this corrupted gem?" She wanted Pearl there to comfort her. She knew why Rose was truly upset to see the damage Homeworld caused….

"Yes," Garnet adjusted her visor, "I can't see what gem this one is specifically, but there's an eighty eight point three percent chance it's a Pearl." Garnet motioned, "And you know how she gets towards corrupted Pearls."

"Yes," Rose nodded, remembering the last Pearl they found. One they'd rescued from the attempt at a reef being built on Earth. Pearl basically raised the other Pearl from her first form. And to see her like this…. Pearl was forced to retreat into her gem during the ensuing battle. She was too distracted. "I don't want her to have to go through that grief again." 

Garnet nodded, "Anyway. We should fan out and start searching."

Rose nodded back at Garnet, "We should split up. We'll cover more ground that way. I'll head south," She pointed towards the entrance of the kindergarten, "And shout if I find anything." 

"I'll head north then. We should meet here if we don't see anything by sundown," Garnet turned and jumped to the top of the valley wall, walking along it towards the north most point of the kindergarten.

Rose waved goodbye to the fusion before sighing deeply and turning to go her own way. She looked only at the ground as she walked, listening to the dirt crunch beneath her bare feet. 

This place was so barren now. She wondered what it looked like before the kindergarten. She never got to see it herself, as Yellow started the kindergarten for her, as a sort of tutorial on how to do it properly. She only got to see it after the valley was complete, and injectors were starting to arrive. She remembered excitedly punchinging in the commands for her first gem line, having no idea that seeing them be born would open her eyes to so much…. 

Rose stopped at a broken injector, bending down to feel the cracked order screen. It was stuck on the last gem it injected, glitched so she couldn't see the details of it. But, she knew it was probably an Amethyst. But was it an Amethyst who fought fpr Earth... or…

Her thoughts were interrupted as a crunch of dirt was heard behind herself. She spun, ready to fight. However, she froze, eyes wide.

Behind her, was a perfect replica of herself, color and all. Mimicking her pose and everything. However, her mirror's face was totally blank. Expressionless. She also had a hexagonal, diamond shaped gem in her chest. 

Rose blinked a few times, brows furrowing, "What in the-" 

_"What in the-"_ the other gem parroted, leaning back like she did. Appraising the other. 

Rose's brows grew a frustrated crease, "Don't do that." 

_"Don't do that,"_ the other her parroted again. Looking like she was mocking her angry expression.

 _"Hey!"_ Rose growled, before shaking her head. "Okay, focus Rose-" she put a finger to her chin, trying her best to ignore the mimicking of her movements. Stars, this was worse that a newborn Pearl in shadowing. "Need to think on what this is. An overly smart, corrupted Confusionite?" 

Rose looked at the stone on the chest of the other. It was too diamond shaped for that. Diamond…. Diamond….

A dark thought came over Rose. The Diamonds could have sent a new gem type. To record the aftermath of their attack. And see if they could start colonizing again….

In the shock of this idea, she took a step back, getting ready to summon her shield. "Did…." She looked the gem up and down, eyes wide, "Did the Diamonds send you?"

The gem seemed to pause at this, looking contemplative. _"Diamond….?"_ She looked at her hands, before shapeshifting down to a smaller form. 

Rose gasped. A small, multicolored mess stood before her. The size of an overcooked Amethyst, her outfit was a mishmash of different fabrics and styles. Elegant in one corner, and punk in another. Bows and frills on one part, but streamlined uniform on another. Her mess of hair covered one eye, but the other told Rose everything she needed to know.

 _"Diamond!"_ The gem parroted again, arms reaching up like she wanted to be carried. _"Diamond! **Diamond**!!"_

The eye with the diamond shaped pupil blinked in confusion as Rose fell to her backside, trying to scoot away from her. 

"Y-You're…." Rose shook, flabbergasted at what she saw. A small Diamond. Here. 

What was she doing here?! Had the diamonds tried to replace her and sent their obvious failure here?! No, Rose's eyes drifted to the wall of the kindergarten. A diamond shaped hole was at the very bottom of a row of Amethysts. 

The dear emerged here. So what did that mean? Did the other Diamonds plan a fifth Diamond here, and not tell her? Or was she a replacement who got abandoned in the corruption blast? 

Either way, the poor dear was highly undercooked, to be so small and so…. uncoded.

Rose watched as the confused Diamond did a small spin to look at herself, trying to figure out why Rose was so scared. 

_She was perfect._

The dear didn't know about her privilege, or the stress of being a Diamond. Obviously. She was a blank canvas who could be anything she wanted. And that…. That was beautiful. Everything she ever wanted for gems. 

She smiled warmly and sat up, crossing her legs and holding onto her feet as she looked down at the small diamond. "Hello there." 

_"Hello there,"_ the gem parroted, looking up at Rose. 

"I'm very sorry I shouted," Rose apologized, "I was just very surprised to see a gem like you here." 

_"Gem?"_ The diamond parroted.

"Yes!" Rose chuckled, "That's what you are! Like me, and Garnet-" Rose paused. What the stars was she going to tell Garnet. The fusion would hate to see a Diamond like this. But this was a kindergarten for Amethysts. So….. 

"Do you know what your name is?" Rose tried, hoping that she didn't know. That would male this harder.

The gem paused, before parroting, _"Name? Name?"_

Rose laughed before shaking her head, "We could call you "Name" if you like. Or-" she leaned over to the injector she had been investigating and broke off the screen. Showing her the scrunched up, glitched image of an Amethyst. "We could call you Amethyst. That's what gem type you are." Rose hated that she was doing this. Lying. Hiding things. But it was for everyone's best interest. Including this Diamond's she didn't need to know the horrors of her lineage. 

_"Amethyst?"_ The gem parroted, before shapeshifting into a squished version of an Amethyst. She looked like a perfect rendition of an overcooked Amethyst now, minus the uniform. She even hid part of her gem. Making it round like an Amethyst's. Deja vu overtook Rose for a moment.

"Oh!" Rose smiled, "Yes! You look beautiful- not that you didn't before-" Rose chuckled awkwardly, "You'll always be perfect the way you are." She scooped up the "Amethyst" and tickled her belly, causing her to laugh. "But now you look extra beautiful." 

"Amethyst!" The gem giggled, "Amethyst!" 

"Yes!" Rose grinned, "Do you want that to be you?" 

"You! You!!" Amethyst seemed resolute now. 

Rose nodded, "Then you'll be Amethyst. Come on, we should show you to Garnet." 

_"Garnet!"_ The Amethyst giggled as she was carried like a baby by Rose. Rose giggled as she walked north. This Amethyst would grow up loved and unknowing of her purpose. Not needed to want a colony or a Pearl or…. Any of it. Just being herself. Rose bent down and molded the hole Amethyst erupted from to be more Amethyst-y as she past by it.

No one would ever have to know about the little Diamond. 

Not even Amethyst.

**Author's Note:**

> Just an au I thought of while half asleep last night.


End file.
